5 Ways to Increase Workplace Safety

Managing a facility or business correctly should involve taking into account workplace safety and creating a secure work environment for everyone. There are several reasons for this. 

First of all, your company’s reputation and productivity could be severely undermined if workplace injuries or hazards left your employees unemployed. Second, possible litigations and compensations could also put a considerable strain on your budget. And, last but not least, ensuring a safe workplace environment for your employees and customers isn’t just about the bottom line. It also helps build trust in your company and foster a stronger sense of employee loyalty. 

Now that we’ve gone over a few reasons why you should increase workplace safety, let’s talk about how to do it.

Hire The Right People

In order to create a safe and efficient workplace, your employees should not only be trained but also focused, methodical, and committed to doing great work. Take your time during the hiring process. Hiring too quickly can lead to choosing the wrong person and paying for it down the road.

One way to find out if a particular applicant is a good fit for your company is to examine their CV. If they have been switching between companies often, this might be a sign that their work ethic is lacking. This doesn’t have to be conclusive evidence, of course, but it’s something you should look into with their previous employers.

Prioritize Health and Hygiene

Human error or neglect in the workplace are not the only instances that can lead to dangerous situations. To keep your facility safe, you should prioritize health and hygiene. Luckily, Covid-19 has raised awareness about the importance of proper hygiene in the workplace.

Regular, professional cleaning is important to eliminate germs, bacteria, and viruses.
So, make sure to maintain a high standard of workplace hygiene. For example, encourage handwashing through signs posted in restrooms and breakrooms. Also, make sure all employees have easy access to hand sanitizers in all parts of the workplace.
Even if your facility is going through significant changes, such as a remodel, you should ensure that safety and hygiene are never compromised. Creating a safe work environment for employees during such times is critical to preventing potential mishaps.

Prepare for Emergencies

You can make your workplace safer by being prepared for unforeseen circumstances that may arise. But this encompasses more than just supplying the facility with the right number of fire extinguishers and first-aid kits. Your employees also have to know how to react in case of fire, flood, or chemical hazards. That’s why emergency training should be part of your employment process.

Apart from this, you should also make sure that everyone in the building can access the fire exits easily. Label everything clearly so that people can quickly interpret signs, even in stressful situations. It’s also helpful to practice drills and protocols to prepare everyone to react as calmly as possible in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Conduct Regular Maintenance of Tools and Equipment

No amount of preparedness or safety precautions will be adequate if the tools and equipment your employees use are not maintained. Being negligent in this regard can put the health and lives of your staff in danger. On the flip side, regular maintenance and security checkups will extend the lifecycle and functionality of your equipment, so it’s also in the best interests of your company to keep machines up-to-date. Make sure that a certified professional gets called to examine the equipment on a regular basis to prevent any malfunctions or issues.

Maintain Lighting, Ventilation, and Other Essential Systems Year-Round

Finally, keeping the systems in your facility running smoothly is imperative. Ventilation can be problematic if your employees work with hazardous chemicals and fumes, so it’s necessary to check ventilation systems regularly. In addition, make sure that the monitors controlling temperature and humidity in the workplace are well-regulated.

Here are a few maintenance tasks to do a few times per year:

• Check exterior light bulbs
• Clean and check the HVAC filter
• Inspect filters and batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Test and service fire alarms and fire extinguishers
• Clean the inside and outside of windows and hardware monthly
• Perform rodent and pest control
• Inspect the facility for signs of leaks or faulty drainage
• Change water filters

In short, whether you do your own upkeep tasks or hire a facility services management company to do them for you, maintaining optimal working conditions is essential if you want to make your workplace safer. Follow these basic principles to make your workplace a better place for your employees, visitors, and, ultimately, your business. Contact System4 of Tucson to learn more.